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I went to the local hardware store and got a 12x12 piece and spray adhesive to laminate it to a piece of wood for protection. Was pretty inexpensive.

Tall Dark and Swarfy

Post subject: Re: Sharpening on a shoe string

Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 6:38 pm

Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2013 2:22 amPosts: 1084

Ceramic kitchen tile also works and is cheap. Ask your local home supply store if they have any singles available. If they have a dropped or open box they might just give you a few.

Dakki

Post subject: Re: Sharpening on a shoe string

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 4:40 am

Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2014 10:57 pmPosts: 181

mark wrote:A lot of glued on glass recommendations. I did a quick search, but didn't find much. Where would one find cheap glass blanks?

Yellow pages, people who repair windows (glazers? or maybe under "construction") will have cutoffs for very cheap/free if they like you. Home Depot type stores should also have glass and be able to cut it to your specs, if you're not the bargain hunter type. Glass is pretty cheap though.

If you want to go crazy, get a thick piece of tempered glass. We used to use one for a marking table at work before I found a NIB Mitutoyo marble. That thing was crazy flat and nearly bulletproof.

mark

Post subject: Re: Sharpening on a shoe string

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 6:13 am

Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2013 12:07 amPosts: 371

Thanks for the replies guys, I learn something new all the time here

I have been thinking for a while that glass backings would be nice to affix to my strops. Hard(albeit somewhat brittle), flat, thin and portable, but had thought the cost would out weigh the relative benefits. Will definitely be checking into these.

Dan_Crubenew

Post subject: Re: Sharpening on a shoe string

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 11:36 pm

Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:44 amPosts: 1368

I have used the coffee cup trick too, at times.

_________________Only after Winter comes do we know that the pine and the cypress are the last to fade.

Umberto

Post subject: Re: Sharpening on a shoe string

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 2:16 am

Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:21 pmPosts: 427

Ace Hardware has some really tiny cheap stones...but they can work for a few bucks each.

Danvil

Post subject: Re: Sharpening on a shoe string

Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 12:20 am

Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2013 12:55 pmPosts: 10

If you want a really inexpensive way to sharpen a knife use an old porcelain plate from a flea market or thrift store. You sharpen on the bottom rim of the plate. This is very hard material and it not real coarse, but will cut without leaving deep scratches. This is if you are in a jam, because the least expensive method is the sandpaper method. Put a mouse pad under the sand paper if you want to a convex edge. Last time I did that I was able to get 2000 grit sandpaper at a auto-body supply shop, not an auto parts store. I went to a mirror and window store and had them cut me a pice of 4"x 10 piece of plate glass. All of the edges were smooth. This was back in the late 1990's and I still have it. Granite blocks, if you don't have to pay shipping are fairly cheap, but at that point you are getting close to the cost of a combo water stone. Plain old newspaper and carboard work great for stropping, as well.

B.B.C.

Post subject: Re: Sharpening on a shoe string

Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 1:36 am

Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 9:10 pmPosts: 240

I have used the plate/coffee cup trick quite often to touch up dull house knives at work. It works fairly well with good technique, however I would never do that with my own knives. So for newbies on the cheap I have to lend my voice to the 1k/6k combo stone camp.

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